What On (This) Earth Does "11" Mean?

You're hearing about it more and more; this perplexing and increasingly ubiquitous phenomenon of people looking at clocks, receipts, signs - and the number 11 is staring back at them. Of course the most frequently talked about is 11:11 (The official make a wish time), but my surmise is that it goes much deeper than that.

It happened to both me and my husband in 2005 during an extraordinarily emotional time in our lives. We were renovating our home. Stress and anxiety was at peak levels for both of us. We had also experienced some curious shift of energy in our home; nothing of the negative sort but certainly a recognizable and all-encompassing change of atmosphere, well beyond whatever aesthetic changes we were making. I found myself glimpsing at the clock - any clock - all clocks, and there it was: 3:11, 1:11, 8:11, 12:11, and yes, 11:11. This was occurring far beyond the probability of "chance." Initially I would just smile when it would show up. After a few serendipitous occurrences I took notice of it a bit more. When the majority of the time I glanced up to see the time and invariably it would be 11 after the hour, I thought "okay, what on God's Green Earth is happening here?"

As a metaphysical researcher, I had been somewhat familiar with some of the more elusive aspects of numbers and symbols as they relate to dimensional reality. I was aware that numbers are a language of sorts, they interact with our planet; our solar system; the galaxy. They map the constellations, and our DNA! But this intrusion of 11 and further why it seemed to be showing up with such tenacity and why now, I did not know.

I scoured the Internet, doing key word searches like, "seeing 11 on the clock" "11 after the hour" and "people seeing 11" to learn whether I was just losing my sense of reality or whether I had company! Only a few obscure references came up, but certainly enough to suggest that something was going on.

Finally I couldn't hold it back any longer. I decided to confide in my husband: "Honey, I'm seeing 11 on the clock all the time...". No sooner did I get the phrase out of my mouth when my husband glanced at me with the most perplexing look. "Me too!" I didn't know whether to jump for joy that I was not alone in this odyssey or shutter with fear that this was some menacing omen.

This all began for us six years ago, and it has not relented since. And apparently, neither for the increasing numbers of us who are somehow privy to something that means something VERY timely and relevant. Today (as of the date of this writing), if you search "11:11" on Google, you will get approximately 1,700,000,000 (that's 1.7 billion!) results. If you search "people seeing 11 all of the time", you'll get 944,000,000 (close to 1 billion)! Talk about the significance of numbers!

What is Going On?

Theories abound, we are now seeing every conceivable explanation, from every aspect of the new age, the occult, and numerology circles.

From the 1111spiritguardians.com website, it says:
These 11:11 Wake-Up Calls on your digital clocks, mobile phones, VCR’s and microwaves are the "trademark" prompts of a group of just 1,111 fun-loving Spirit Guardians, or Angels, and the 11:11 prompt is their way of using our innate ability for pattern recognition to let us know that they are here. Once they have your attention, they will use other digits, like 12:34, or 2:22 to remind you of their presence. Invisible to our eyes, they are very real.

From the crystalinks.com website, it states:
Seeing 11:11 frequently creates synchronicities and changes in one's life to understand reality and where consciousness is going.

In Numerology 11 represents impractical idealism, visionary, refinement of ideals, intuition, revelation, artistic and inventive genius, avant-garde, androgynous, film, fame, refinement fulfilled when working with a practical partner. Eleven is a higher octave of the number two. It carries psychic vibrations and has an equal balance of masculine and feminine properties. 11 represents balance.

Then of course there are those prophetic associations one cannot resist tethering to the “11” anomaly:

September 11, 2001 (aka, 9:11)
December 21, 2012, which of course is said to be the end of the Mayan Calendar. (if you add up 1,2,2,1,2,0,1,2 you get 11)
And so on...

Now publishers from both New Age and even more mainstream genres are seeing fit to release a whole lot of books on the subject (I will reference a few at the end of this article). YouTube has no shortage of videos on the subject as well. At last check when I searched “11:11” within YT, I got 16,600,000 (that’s 16.6 million videos). Of course, not all videos are directly related to the phenomenon that we are speaking of, but a staggering amount were!

I found this short video to be somewhat objective in its approach to the subject, while not backing away from the "11" significance...



Note that this video has received almost half a million views!

What I find the most intriguing are the myriad anecdotes that just keep pouring in; the online threads, twitter chats, etc where people tell their 11 stories, initially with a sense of trepidation and more recently with a sense of purpose.

I was chatting with my dear friend's nephew maybe a couple of years ago. He was around 8 or 9 at the time. Nothing in particular would lead him to talk about "11", but all of a sudden, in a childlike way he uttered, "every time I look at the clock it says 11 and it's really weird!" That was it for me. I called it to my husband's attention; and told the little boy to tell my husband what he had just said, just to make sure I was hearing it correctly. All my husband could do was shake his head in disbelief.

Could the "11 experience" be some covert mind mapping program to keep the masses in servitude? Could it be a signal from "beyond" about the current and accelerating shift? Could this shift indicate a thinning of the dimensional veils and 11 be some sort of a numeric portal? Could it be the angelic realms making their presence known through the twin doorways just to give us a wink and a nod? Could it be a complex vibrational resonance preparing us for 4th density existence? Could it be all of the above? Perhaps.

As much as I would love to have some definitive answer for you (and for me): the ultimate meaning; its significance - obviously I cannot do that. What I will commit to is that some sort of phenomenon is occurring here. Its presence to more and more on this planet is burgeoning. My sense is that its proportions are big, the implications vast, and conceivably its revelations forthcoming. Will it be on December 21st 2012? Sometime beyond?

As the Anchorman behind the camera says: stay tuned! And as I will say, "stay tuned in: this channel will one day surely be revealed."

Read about Alexis' own interaction with "11:11" and how she used this time prompt to guide her journey through crisis in her new book, Conscious Musings - Contemplations to Transform Life and Realize Potential!

Three Minute "Mindfulness" Meditation by Bestselling Author Sonia Choquette

I have become simply enchanted by this lovely individual and spiritual teacher, Sonia Choquette; by her wisdom and by her common sense approach about the very thing that eludes the ego but imbues the spirit, and the channel that we use to access "spirit." Our intuition. I "happened" upon this interview she gave back in February of this year, where she discusses, among other things mindfulness meditation. The timing of my "stumbling upon" this interview, only several days after posting part two of How To Meditate where we highlighted "the mindfulness approach to meditative practice," serves as being nothing short of synchronistic!

In this segment of the interview, Sonia reminds us that you must frame meditation correctly. Take a temporary pause from everyday life. Yes BE in the moment. She says, "your emotional self lives in the past - your mental self lives in the future and you can't create or be intuitive in the past or the future." You can only access intuitive guidance from a position of being present.

Watch this video and get a wonderful suggestion on how we can access our unfailing intuitive aspect with this useful three minute meditation. I also urge you to watch the interview in its entirety on YouTube, and brought to you by Conversations with Robin.

In the spirit of the Holiday season, let us all be present to ourselves and to each other. May you all be blessed beyond your wildest dreams!

Happy Holidays!

Read Sonia's latest book:

If you enjoyed this article and would like to see the work of Higher Journeys continue, in addition to my broadcast of Conscious Inquiry with Alexis Brooks on CLN, please consider making a small donation today to keep us going! 
...thank you!

How To Meditate - Part Two

In part one of How to Meditate; we established that there are a range of modalities that can be utilized to achieve a meditative state. We understand that the practice of meditation generally aims to produce a peak level of awareness as the brain shifts into a slightly hypnogogic or alpha wave pattern, which sets the stage for a potentially effective and authentic meditative experience.

But why is it that we have a desire to meditate and what is it that we endeavor to obtain from the act of meditation? Again, I would venture to say that there is no singular answer to this question. Each individual has their own motivations for incorporating this practice into their lives. However, one theme that seems to be common among avid practitioners is to obtain spiritual enlightenment, through the act of "Being", ergo recognizing that we are simply and profoundly spiritual beings. In our everyday waking lives we are not generally experiencing this aspect of ourselves. Deep meditation can bring us back to that objective "being-ness."

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the late founder and leader of the Transcendental Meditation movement wrote in his book by the same name, "Experience shows that Being is bliss consciousness, the source of all thinking, of all existing creation. It lies out of relative existence where the experiencer or mind is left awake by itself in full awareness of itself without any experience of an object. The conscious mind reaches the state of pure consciousness which is the source of all thinking. ...Being is the absolute in eternal freedom." Therefore, to experience the essential nature of Being (pure consciousness) is to experience enlightenment, or Being-in-the-light.

Meditation as a Bridge to "Non Ordinary Reality"

Many have reported that their meditative experiences have sometimes yielded unexpected shifts in reality; unusual events that we might deem anomalous. Others have admitted that they have used meditation to consciously traverse these mysterious realms.

Out of body experience (OBE) or astral travel, angelic/spirit communication and even the impingement of parallel dimensions on ones awareness have oft been reported as an epiphenomenon of deep meditation. These excursions can tantalize the meditator to the extent that they subsequently become a primary aim of the practice where others may be taken so off guard by the shock of the experience that they cease meditating out of fear of the unknown, or the prospect that they may be going "insane." For some people, regularly practiced meditation can even develop one's psychic "muscle" producing occasional non-ordinary states even during everyday activity.

One example is offered by Dr. Mitchell Gibson, M.D., a former practicing board certified psychiatrist and recipient of the Albert Einstein Foundation Research Award for his work in Sleep Disorders. Through many years of conscious spiritual exploration, Gibson recognized that in spite of his medical training, which is rooted in material science leaving no room for mystical experience, he was nonetheless drawn to its foundations through a number of phenomena that he had witnessed firsthand including during his training and practice as a medical doctor. Gibson had begun meditating at the age of twelve, after a Buddhist monk had visited his grade school to teach the class about meditation. He recounts an experience where during which time he had discovered his meditations were taking on some anomalous "side effects." While in his first year of medical school during gross anatomy where students work on deceased individuals who have donated their bodies to science, Gibson tells of an encounter where he had begun making an incision on a male cadaver and upon first touching the body, he began to get energetic impressions, emotions and fleeting images from his consciousness. He then recognized that these were directly emanating from the cadaver. Frightened by the experience, he decided to cease meditating for the next two or so years or else be in a state (he feared) of mental instability. Fortunately, he ultimately did not let these experiences deter him from his quest to understand the more mystical and wider aspects of reality. As a result, Gibson has retired from the traditional practice of psychiatry and has devoted his time to writing, teaching and spiritual research. He now works full time helping hundreds of clients on a spectrum of spiritual issues.

Well known in the field of consciousness research, Dr. Stanislav Grof, M.D. discusses an incident in his book The Holotropic Mind, in which his wife Christine during her first marriage had an incredibly profound experience occur during a meditation retreat facilitated by Swami Muktananda:

"During a meditation period, he (Muktananda) first looked at me and then, with some force, slapped me several times on the forehead with his hand. The impact of that seemingly simple event blew the lid off the experiences, emotions, and energies I had been holding down since (her daughter) Sarah's birth.

Suddenly I felt as though I had been plugged into a high-voltage socket as I started to shake uncontrollably. My breathing fell into an automatic, rapid rhythm that seemed beyond my control, and a multitude of visions flooded my consciousness. I wept as I felt myself being born; I experienced death; I plunged into pain and ecstasy, strength and gentleness, love and fear, depths and heights. I was on an experiential roller coaster, and I knew I could no longer contain it. The genie was out of the bottle."
(This account quoted in The Holotropic Mind and taken from The Stormy Search For The Self, Christina Grof, Stanislav Grof, -Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher, 1990)

I have had my own, you might say, "curious" phenomena emerge from some of my meditative sessions. I cannot say I have consciously experienced an OBE during meditation (although I sense I've actually had many), but there have been occasions when I could feel my awareness shifting gears into a state that was far less concrete and even timeless. Some of the familiar hallmarks associated with the out of body state including, temporary paralysis, humming or vibrating sensations and a sinking feeling are all qualities I have felt at one time or another during my meditation. These are typically known as preludes to an OBE.

Focused Meditation for Specific Outcomes

Others take on meditation with more practical applications in mind.

Karen Murray, a well recognized commercial voice actress from New York City, and meditator trained in TM, had been going the traditional route to find that special someone to be a part of her life. It occurred to her however that intention based meditation; the act of mentally rehearsing a desired outcome through visualization might be an effective alternative.

She began a daily practice of listening to the guided meditation CD by Kathy Freston entitled Finding a Great Relationship which allowed her to shape in her mind's eye, a specific scenario, in which she would meet the perfect male companion.

"I had been using the meditation CD for about three months. On command, I found myself envisioning this scene of being at my local grocery store, specifically in the health food aisle. I was always looking at the same shelf. There is this man standing next to me also looking for organic food items. I could feel that he wanted to say something to me; look for a reason to approach me. Maybe make conversation around eating healthy or something." Karen said that this was a recurring scene during the meditations, as if on auto pilot, landing on her awareness without any cajoling on her part. Was Karen initiating the vision entirely herself, or was she getting a glimpse of the actual "future" that was in store for her (the grocery store, that is)?

Not too long after these series of visions, Karen indeed had been at this same market and as she approaches the check out, she notices an attractive man in front of her. When space allowed for her to unload her groceries onto the belt, the man then turns around, their eyes lock, and then he quips, "so what's the difference between organic and regular eggs? I've been trying to eat more healthy." Preceding the question Karen again felt that he would say something to her, just like in the vision.

Although no match was made on that day, the two again ran into each other about a month later in the same grocery store. "Organic chicken?" "No, eggs," Karen reminded. This second encounter led to the two having their first date, a relationship quickly followed and they have been inseparable ever since - for over two years!

What was taking place during these guided meditations? Karen insists that the act of the repeating visualization cemented a probability of the encounter manifesting, although the actual event was slightly different than she had envisioned. But moreover, considering the hypothesis that time and space may be just a physical construct with no basis in ultimate reality, during deep meditation, one may exit the linear confines and enter the no-time zone, whereby glimpsing any one level of the continuum as the ever present now, including what we call the "future!"

Grof states, "...transpersonal consciousness allows us to experience past and future, leaping across boundaries that clocks, calendars, and the aging of our own bodies seem to make so inexorable." A multitude of findings, primarily within the quantum theoretical framework, clearly give pause for thought on the "no time" hypothesis.

As a footnote, Karen’s dear friend and neighbor Rhonda trialed another Preston guided meditation, called Abundance at the same time Karen was meditating, both beginning in September of 2008. Concurrently, the two also practiced yoga together several mornings a week in Rhonda’s apartment. Rhonda had been repeatedly unsuccessful in bringing a child into this world. She and her husband sorely wanted children. In the guided meditation, Rhonda settled into a vision of seeing she and her husband travelling around the world, with children in tow! The tenacity of that vision as well made an imprint on Rhonda’s consciousness and as a result (directly or indirectly), she became pregnant in November of that same year and now has a healthy young boy!

The implications are staggering– Not only do we create our own reality, but have far more control over the reality we create, and meditation may be a fitting channel to do just that!

One final point that is worth noting: despite the temptation to assign “power” to the things we may use in meditation whether guided meditation cds, crystals, singing bowls, whatever - they are merely tools and nothing more. YOU are the true force that’s creating the results, in whatever form they may take, from finding a mate to having a child to advancing your own psychic attunement. Never forget that and you will truly come to know that the possibilities are endless and you are in the driver’s seat!

Further Reading/References: (Note all titles are available from Amazon.com - Click on the Image below.)

Transcendental Meditation (Formerly Titled: The Science of Being and the Art of Living) - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi


The Living Soul - Mitchell Earl Gibson, M.D.


The Holotropic Mind - Stanislav Grof, M.D. (with Hal Zina Bennett)


Finding A Great Relationship (CD) - Kathy Freston


Abundance (CD) - Kathy Freston

If you enjoyed this article and would like to see the work of Higher Journeys continue, in addition to my broadcast of Conscious Inquiry with Alexis Brooks on CLN, please consider making a small donation today to keep us going! 
...thank you!

Sound Vibration Healing - Solfeggio Frequency Meditation

As an addendum to our How to Meditate article, I thought you would enjoy this little gem I recently found. This video incorporates both sound and imagery to relax, heal and obtain a "liberation from fear." It is based on the Solfeggio Frequencies described as "...an ancient musical scale that was thought to be lost centuries ago and replaced with the scale that is used today (12 tone equal temperament with A=440). They are the original sound frequencies used in Ancient Gregorian chants including the great hymn to St. John the Baptist." - From the Source Vibrations web site.

See the Source Vibrations web site for more wonderful guided meditations incorporating these sacred elements!

Enjoy the Journey!

If you enjoyed this article and would like to see the work of Higher Journeys continue, in addition to my broadcast of Conscious Inquiry with Alexis Brooks on CLN, please consider making a small donation today to keep us going! 
...thank you!

How to Meditate

Upon first glance you may be thinking that this is a step by step guide on how to meditate. This is not at all a treatise about a singular approach. My sense is that there is no such thing as the way to do anything, not the least of which is this ancient practice we call meditation. And frankly, that’s great news! Rather, what we will be exploring here is the myriad ways meditation can be practiced AND be equally effective for your own personal journey. Since I began meditating, well over thirty years ago when my parents "dragged" me to a Transcendental Meditation (TM) class along with them, (and I’m thanking them to this day) I've come to the conclusion that there are probably as many approaches to meditation as there are people partaking in its practice.

What is Meditation?

To meditate: is defined as: 1. To engage in contemplation or reflection; 2. To engage in mental exercise (as concentration on one’s breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness.(Merriam-Webster, 2011)

At its most basic level and now widely accepted understanding, meditation is simply stilling the mind and settling into the ever present "now.” When we also take into consideration that past and future are simply linear constructs and the present is all that exists (and persists), the process for focusing on the now can become a lot easier to experience and the practice of meditation far more effective. Perhaps it would be helpful to meditate on that concept, in and of itself.

In Echkart Tolle’s bestseller, The Power of Now, he explains, “Just become intensely conscious of the present moment. This is a deeply satisfying thing to do. In this way, you draw consciousness away from mind activity and create a gap of no-mind in which you are highly alert and aware but not thinking. This is the essence of meditation.”

Lynne McTaggart, author of The Intention Experiment gives a curiously similar summation as it pertains to the satisfaction of fully experiencing the ever present “now” which in the book she terms mindfulness. “More than just concentration, mindfulness requires that you police the focus of your concentration and maintain that concentration in the present. With practice, you will be able to silence the constant inner chatter of your mind and concentrate on your sensory experience, no matter how mundane – whether it is eating a meal, hugging your child, noticing some pain you are experiencing, or just picking some lint off your sweater.” She goes on, “In time, mindfulness meditation will also heighten your visual perceptions and prevent you from becoming numb to your everyday experience.”

Forms of Effective Meditation

Keep in mind that the practice of meditation aims at accomplishing a deeply contemplative or reflective state, peak awareness or mindfulness, for the purpose of developing a heightened spiritual attentiveness.

Being in Nature

Activities like a walk in nature, listening to birds sing, a jog amid a bright orange sunrise/sunset backdrop or listening to some deeply satisfying music can be incredibly effective in achieving a meditative state. I recall having a discussion with a business colleague about meditation as a form of personal development and empowerment. He quickly commented that his form of meditation involved taking a mid-dawn jog where he could “contemplate and prepare for the day.” Certainly, based on the definition highlighted above, this would constitute a meditative state.

Sound Vibration

There are a number of stimuli that can trigger an alteration of consciousness to induce a meditative state. Sound vibration is one that has become well known to modern practitioners in the west, although much of this approach is rooted in eastern traditional and indigenous cultures. A repetitive sound or tone, such as rhythmic drumming or a single note played repeatedly will enter the nervous system and then be translated by the brain altering its pattern, typically into an alpha brain state; the frequency that is typically associated with meditation. You can use instruments such as Tibetan singing bowls, tincha bells, or even your own voice (i.e. chanting) to achieve this state. I find it interesting that when I use tincha bells, they produce a very high, crisp pitch that I can actually feel reverberating throughout my body (being picked up by my nervous system). If struck repeatedly, this tone will begin to alter the brain pattern and can induce a meditative state.

Physical Movement

Probably the first thing that comes to mind is yoga as a physical activity that incorporates mindfulness and focus with movement to achieve a peak state, but there are other examples of how physical movement can induce a meditative posture. I have seen individuals during ritualistic ceremonies do a variety of movements, such as rocking or swaying. If done repetitively and for prolonged periods, an alteration of consciousness can occur. There is something about repetition in each of these exercises, whether it’s reciting a mantra, chanting or physical movement, sustained for a period of time that again seems to act as a resonator with the brain – shifting it to another level of awareness.

Visual Meditation

Taking in an image and allowing one’s self to be fully engulfed or entranced by it is another effective way to enter the meditative state. Again, the goal is to pick a singular focus (that which we contemplate) at the exclusion of all possible mind intruders, to the point where that ever present now, and the object of focus within it, are all that exist.

I tried an interesting experiment some time ago where I took a photograph of a quartz crystal that I had. This crystal had many natural inclusions, rainbows and other appealing elements that I thought would be interesting to photograph. I was aware from my research that crystals carry a definitive set of frequencies that our own energetic system will vibrate with. Even when a crystal is photographed, its frequency is captured in the image and thus can have an effect on the observer. But here’s where it gets interesting. I then took the image of the crystal and put it into a kaleidoscope generator (an optical instrument that produces intricate shapes, patterns and colors), using non-other than a kaleidoscope application for my smart phone! The app generated this absolutely beautiful flowing mandala, which produced a constant motion and morphing of its design. I simply began focusing on the moving “mandala crystal,” allowing my entire being to be enveloped by its beauty and constant shifting patterns. The result was amazingly effective. I had achieved a meditative or even hypnotic state through gazing at this moving image!

There are indeed so many possibilities in the practice of meditation of which we can benefit.

In the next article, we’ll explore what we want out of our practice of meditation and how it can be beneficial to our overall well being.

References (Titles mentioned are available from Amazon.com. Click on the image below)

The Power of Now - A Guide To Spiritual Enlightenment - Eckhart Tolle


The Intention Experiment - Using Your Thoughts To Change Your Life and The World - Lynne McTaggart

If you enjoyed this article and would like to see the work of Higher Journeys continue, in addition to my broadcast of Conscious Inquiry with Alexis Brooks on CLN, please consider making a small donation today to keep us going! 
...thank you!

The Nature of Reality, Consciousness, the Universe – Where Does Your Journey Begin?

In my travels, you can only imagine how many times I get asked “where do I start my journey of exploring these subjects?” I often find that to be a loaded question, because I have spent so many years on my own journey of researching, contemplating, experiencing; asking the big questions; and the myriad approaches to so many aspects of The nature of reality and consciousness. I’ve come to one conclusion: “The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know.” –Einstein, Socrates, et al.

It’s funny, because I think I resolved myself to that conclusion some years ago, during what you might call an enlightened moment – an epiphany I had that revealed “your goal in life is not to know all things (even if on some deeply unconscious level we already do) – but rather to explore possibilities! In other words, do not be so emphatic about arriving at a final conclusion about “how things work” because chances are, you will run into another experience that may demand an entire shift in paradigm and you’ll be at ground zero once again. Rather, enjoy the journey, build on the exploration and know that there are “truths” at all levels of reality.

That said; make the process fun and exciting. There are now SO many resources, especially online where you can begin your trek - and still so many books (both classics and new titles) approaching these subjects, from a multiplicity of angles. Below I have for you, what I call a “starter kit” of reading. These are some of the first books I read that I still consider “perennial classics.” I’ve recommended them and given them as gifts to many people! In later years, my area of inquiry got a little more complex and a bit more challenging, albeit, deeply fulfilling. You’ll find that as your interest begins to pick up along with some fundamental level of resonance, you’ll be guided to the resources that are best suited for you depending on where you are on your journey!

Finally, what I also tell people is, at the end of the day, no matter how many books you read or classes you take, there comes a time when you have to put down the book, shut down the “outside” and get quiet with yourself (meditate, contemplate)…just be still. The answers will begin to come. “Stop looking for the guru ‘out there.’ They are no measure to the Guru you already know.” –AB.

An interesting footnote: I’ve often found that if I spend time first in silent contemplation and then pick up a book, seemingly at random, I will find just the right phrase or piece of information that corresponds with the thought which ultimately yields “the answer.” That’s what we call synchronicity!!

Begin the Journey!

*All Titles are available on Amazon.com. Just click on the book image below.

Mind-Awareness-Ability (Easy and fluid reading, these are all classics!)


As a Man Thinketh – James Allen (Written in a poetic tone, this classic is well over a century old and still a top seller. Also,I have seen free and legal downloads for this if you want the e-book. Take a look online).

The Power of Positive Thinking – Norman Vincent Peale (Another classic. My parents had this book on their shelves as far back as I can remember.)

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind – Joseph Murphy (One of my first books on the subject that I read in the 80’s. A simple and easy to understand theory on how the subconscious mind works to form our everyday reality).

Nature of Reality-Consciousness (A bit more complex but absolutely fascinating for the “intermediate” explorer).


Seth Speaks-The Eternal Validity of the Soul – Jane Roberts (see my previously published article: You Create Your Own Reality, So Says Seth, 2001. I consider myself a “student” of Seth’s teachings. Powerful!)

The Nature of Personal Reality – Jane Roberts (I’d recommend reading Seth Speaks before you get into this one. Plus there’s a whole series of Seth books still available including the “Early Sessions.”)

The Holographic Universe – Michael Talbot (Truly comprehensive in its approach with great references for further reading. To this day, one of my favorite books on the subject of the nature of reality and how the universe “works.”)

If you enjoyed this article and would like to see the work of Higher Journeys continue, in addition to my broadcast of Conscious Inquiry with Alexis Brooks on CLN, please consider making a small donation today to keep us going! 
...thank you!

Occupy Your Self! Personal Spiritual Development - A Powerful Presentation by Lecturer, Filmmaker & Researcher, David Wilcock

This is one of the most succinct, articulate and beautifully presented summations I have ever seen or heard on personal spiritual development. Based in part on the Law of One Series, David presents a poignant synopsis on how to become, re-member and re-instate who we really are! Covering such key points as: Love, Service to Others, Forgiveness, Our Agenda as Souls, Meditation, and Accessing the Higher Self, Occupy Your Self will appeal to the academic and lay person alike. David uses compelling data, along with ancient wisdom from indigenous traditions to convey different approaches to attainment that lead to a singular and fundamental understanding of who we are from a SOUL-perspective and why now is the time to take action in transcending our reality. Moreover, he explains how to re-ignite that spark within, using practical tools to get us started…all of which I’m sure will have a ring of familiarity to it. I strongly urge you to visit David’s web site: Divine Cosmos. I have been following David’s work for several years now and am always impressed with his incredible intellect and deep wisdom as he explains otherwise elusive and complex subjects. He’s a true gem!

If you enjoyed this article and would like to see the work of Higher Journeys continue, in addition to my broadcast of Conscious Inquiry with Alexis Brooks on CLN, please consider making a small donation today to keep us going! 
...thank you!

Reality, Self, the Universe and the Urgency of Now

As some of you know, I have been on a mission to advance the premise of the Higher Journeys blog and get the momentum up quickly. The subject matters we will be exploring warrant it. And I’m happy to be contributing to what is becoming ubiquitous dialogue about spirituality, the self and all the mystery that surrounds it.

I must tell you that in the midst of doing some personal campaigning for Higher Journeys over the weekend, I received many wonderful emails about the blog, but one email that I received from a friend and associate caught my attention as one of her comments underscored a key point I had been trying to make in my previous entry, The True Nature of Reality – Should We Know More of the Story?

Her email was a pleasant one – and she admitted she finds these subjects interesting. But she quickly followed with the fact that these are the types of things you think about when you “get a free minute.” Now consider that there are still so many, that spend what little “free moments” they have doing nothing of the sort. Contemplate the mysteries of the universe, why we are here and who we are? No chance. Not when there are so many distractions to ensure we stay occupied with day-to-day “stuff.” So first, my hats off to her for taking occasional free moments to even ponder such wonders. But here’s my point: I think the time has arrived, where although taking those precious free moments to spend contemplating our spirituality and moreover our potentiality and our place in the Universe is a good start, it is now vital – absolutely vital that we take the responsibility to truly realize our potential, by first pondering, then studying and ultimately applying some of these otherwise abstract notions. We ARE powerful and spiritual beings. Every one of us – I am convinced of that. No matter your faith; no matter what religion or even no religion at all – and my sense has always been that our religions are but interpretations of a fundamental truth – there is something there for us to see and then fully incorporate and once we realize the “practical applications” – the sky is the limit (so to speak).

Recall how our paradigm quickly shifted post 9/11 – our fears, anxieties; our security or in-security as it were became blatantly magnified and still no signs of letting up – Unless….! We have now reached a crescendo - perhaps 9/11 being the impetus – such that our “normal” way of life no longer works. Might it be that in order to graduate to the next level of evolution as a species that the proactive incorporation of spiritual practices, benevolent practices, altruistic practices, all innate abilities, dormant as they may be, will help ignite our power and enable us to navigate the shift many are admitting is underway? This of course, is yours to ponder. My only plea: please consider taking more than a few minutes of your time to think on these things. For in the words of noted author Lyall Watson “Our future lies in the mind and our understanding of it…”

Relevant insight: See Victims of the Attack, Martyrs for Meaning (by Alexis Brooks, 2001).

If you enjoyed this article and would like to see the work of Higher Journeys continue, in addition to my broadcast of Conscious Inquiry with Alexis Brooks on CLN, please consider making a small donation today to keep us going! 
...thank you!

My Book Review of Bill Guggenheim and Judy Guggenheim's "Hello From Heaven"

One of the most provocative questions ever to be asked is, "Does individual consciousness continue to function after a person has physically died?" Simply put, "Do we continue to live after we've died?" At the outset the question has paradoxical implications, and yet, there are some who adamantly believe that life after death exists. Moreover, others believe they know that this is the case. Those who have undergone what are called "Near Death Experiences" (NDE's); "Out of Body Experiences" (OBE's); and yet another phenomenon, unexplained yet commonly reported, "After Death Communication" (ADC's) are among the "survival" theory's most avid supporters.

Read the full article here.

Check out the book here:
Hello From Heaven - A New Field of Research -After-Death Communication Confirms That Life and Love Are Eternal

If you enjoyed this article and would like to see the work of Higher Journeys continue, in addition to my broadcast of Conscious Inquiry with Alexis Brooks on CLN, please consider making a small donation today to keep us going! 
...thank you!

New Content from Previously Published Work

Good Evening! Well, it's day two of my navigating the "blogosphere" and I'm getting acclimated relatively quick and frankly loving the process! Just wanted to announce that I've posted a few of my previously published works (listed to your right) for you to peruse and enjoy. "God Is Love Takes On A Whole New Meaning" in two parts lays out a provocative framework for a metaphor well recognized throughout major religious teaching and takes the concept to a whole new level of potential understanding. "You Create Your Own Reality - So Says 'Seth'," summarizes the teachings of what is called "an energy personality essence" who was famously "channeled" by author/poet Jane Roberts and still to this day garners significant inquiry and contemplation. Lastly, "Reality TV Takes on New Meaning with John Edward's 'Crossing Over'", invites the reader directly onto the TV production set where I interviewed John back in 2001 about his hit series "Crossing Over with John Edward."

I hope you enjoy some of the work I published back in the "good 'ole days." I think a lot of what is discussed in these essays and articles are obviously still relevant today and worth a good think (whatever conclusion you might reach).

-Bon voyage!

If you enjoyed this article and would like to see the work of Higher Journeys continue, in addition to my broadcast of Conscious Inquiry with Alexis Brooks on CLN, please consider making a small donation today to keep us going! 
...thank you!

Welcome to Higher Journeys!

Greetings and welcome to my new blog! It is my sincere intention that your visits here will help inspire your own higher journey; an exploration of life that is filled with wonder, mystery, excitement and joy. Even through the bumps and bruises of life, if one stays fervent to their path and the understanding that life is indeed one grand exploration, your journey will not be in vain.

For those of you who followed my work some years back (formerly from the AlexisBrooks.com – Metaphysical Essays and Insight Portal) I welcome you back! And for those many more who may happen upon Higher Journeys whether through mere “accident” (here, we call that synchronicity) or through a referral, I welcome you! Let me take a moment here to thank so many of you who, during my AlexisBrooks.com days, gave me so much encouragement and love. Many of you were so kind to give my work commendations, which meant more to me than you’ll ever know and I thank you dearly.

After a VERY lengthy hiatus of writing and my own wild and exciting journey with plenty of excitement, adventure, bumps, bruises et al, while helping my husband to run our communications infrastructure company (now celebrating its 10th year in operation and still journeying and growing), I have decided to partake once again in actively writing (these days: “blogging”). Wow, how things have changed since I set up AlexisBrooks.com in the late 90’s/early 2000’s! Technology has made connectivity into these and virtually every subject matter so accessible and so ubiquitous throughout our now “virtual planet”. And yes, there are many self proclaimed “experts” on an exhaustive list of topics. I do not claim to be an “expert,” just an experiencer - an explorer who admittedly has a more than passive interest on subjects that have eluded and intrigued mankind since the beginning. My mission is and always has been to discover a bit about the mystery (yet not let absolute understanding be the final and expected goal – as paradoxical as that may seem) – to just enjoy the journey and the process of discovery; to understand that these mysteries we call “anomalies” are to some extent meant to be (re)discovered and applied to one’s life, so that life itself can be a richer experience on all levels. I invite all who concur to explore with me.

After a bit of pondering on the dynamics and rhythm of this blog, I’ve for the time being decided that this will be the format: Each month I will delve into a theme; a topic of interest that warrants exploration and higher journeying. In a similar vain to my previous work some of you are familiar with, I will include book reviews, personal essays, relevant links and more that delve into these topics to give you a tantalizing look into the inner workings of a subject and impetus for further research that you can pick up on your own. Topics will range from Telepathy and ESP (Extra Sensory Perception), Energy Work and Healing, Dreams/Dreamwork, Visualization/Affirmations/Manifestation, Crystal Work, After Death/Survival of Consciousness, Reality Creation Process, Astral Projection/OBE (Out of Body Experience), as well as a host of other related topics and subtopics. However, as with all journeys, there will be periodic deviations or "side roads" off the beaten path that will be travelled and logged in the true spirit of "blogging." I will occasionally insert special stories, epiphanies, insights that may not be directly related to the monthly theme. Rest assured, however, they will be as thought provoking and interesting, as many side roads on one's journey tend to be!

Also, please look for my previously published work (some of you will be familiar with). As soon as I figure out how to navigate the blog interface comfortably, I'll get it up there for you to peruse and enjoy!

In sum - the scale is vast, but it is important to note, as I have through my own journey, that all the topics I endeavor to cover have some curiously fundamental correlation, some underlying and connecting thread. They are perhaps all puzzle pieces to an infinite and connected web of reality – and we are right in the middle of it. Why not be the “dream and the dreamer?”
So again, welcome. I am SO thrilled to be writing and blogging and look forward to meeting and sharing ideas with you!

Here’s to Higher Journeying!!

Fondly,